Safety in school

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“Run. Hide. Fight…”

On November 28th, 2016, Ohio State University broadcasted this three-worded message to students on campus. Piling chairs against their doors, students hid in their classrooms, alarmed and unaware of the events that were going to unfold. Other students and staff followed the mantra they received from the university, and ran for shelter to serve as a beacon of help and safety.

At Ohio State University, a student observing a busy sidewalk in the university campus, intentionally drove a car right into the eye of the crowded area. The car was not the only terror he raged on the ongoing citizens, he grabbed a knife and attempted to stab the people around him. Eleven victims were injured in the array of violent acts. Cops were forced to shoot the victim on site, who pledged he did this in spite of the way his Muslim sisters and brothers are treated and stereotyped in America. This act of violence towards a school ground prompts an opinionated diverse and crucial question: Run? Hide? Fight?

The act of someone wishing to cause harm to students and staff is a very real and dangerous threat to everyday life. The quote “Run. Hide. Fight” made me stop for a minute and think. What is a student’s ideal situation in the midst of a life-threatening attack? Are the tactics they choose really the best suited?

I interviewed some students and their opinions on the question: If an invader was to enter our school with means of harm, what would you do? Haley, a freshman at LTHS, personally said that she would try to hide if an invader penetrated our school system with means of harm. Another student Kristina, also a freshman at the central campus, stated that if she was already placed nearby a window or door she would run. However, if she was not by an open outlet, she would attempt to hide. Jakob, a sophomore at the east campus, explained his ideal tactic would be to barricade a door and rummage the room to find a weapon that would protect him while he hid. Some would hide, some would run, and some would fight. The impending thought hanging in the air still remains: What is the best option to pursue?

John Bruner, a veteran who is the former Chief County Detective with Greene County said that, if possible, you should fight to get get out of the area with others.

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Jessica is a junior at LTHS and is our returning Editorial Editor of the 2018-2019 school year. This is Jessica's third year in the Porter Press. She is also part of our LTHS swim team, choir, and works part-time at Dunkin Donuts.